In Isaiah 40-66, at least fifteen different Hebrew words are used to express the concepts related to the captives, the prisoners, and the oppressed, in at least twenty-three different Scripture references, including prophetic references to Jesus himself. Apparently, the captive is on God’s heart. In the historical context, these passages deal with the return of the displaced exiles of Israel back to their homes and communities. But here as elsewhere, Scripture speaks to universal human experiences. Nowhere is this more evident than in Jesus appropriation of Isaiah 61:1 … “He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, freedom to prisoners” in his first public preaching in Luke 4:18. The first reference to prisoners and captives in our passage of study (Isaiah 42:6-7) immediately follows the passage that Matthew cited in reference to the ministry of Jesus (Matthew 12). “I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, and as a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.” Note the combination of images of light/darkness and freedom/captivity.
In ministry to the downtrodden, it is powerful to share the prophets’ expression of God’s concern for those who are going through hard places in life. The prophet speaks to people who have been taken from their communities, their homes, and their way of life, people who have lost everything. The prophet rehearses God’s concern and offers hope “I know the plans that I have for you, plans for welfare and not calamity to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11, also expressed to the exiles).
Equally important is God’s expressed interest in stirring leaders to act on his concern. Through the prophet, God at once expresses his concern for the captive and his agenda of deliverance. “This is a people plundered and despoiled … hidden away in prison; they have become prey with none to deliver them, and a spoil with none to bring them back” (42:22), or similarly of Cyrus the deliverer, “I have aroused him in righteousness ... he will build my city and will let my exiles go free” (45:13). In Isaiah 58, the prophet speaks of the ministry of deliverance as a form of worship, “Is this not the fast (i.e. worship) which I choose ... to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free?” (v. 6)
Nor does God neglect to encourage the oppressed to fight for their own deliverance … “Shake yourself from the dust, rise up, O Jerusalem; loose yourself from the chains around your neck” (52:2).
Among these references, the one which I consider to be most powerful at once touches the deepest despair of imprisonment while expressing an unwavering hope in God’s faithfulness, while touching also on God’s concern for the most basic human needs ... “The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking (51:14).
Take a moment to consider that awesome promise. My prayer is that we can embrace even a glimmer of God’s heart for the captive, and somehow represent in our ministry his agenda of deliverance.
Captive / captives / prisoner / prison / oppress / oppressor / oppression / Chains
616 - prisoner
631 – Bind, hold, keep, prison, put in bonds
953 – Pit, hole, cistern, dungeon
1473 – Exile, captive
1546 – captivity, captives, exiles
3608 – Prison
3238 – Be violent, suppress, maltreat, destroy, oppress
5065 – To drive, tax, harass, tyrannize, oppress, taskmaster
6115 – Closure, constraint, oppression
6231 – Press upon, oppress, defraud, violate, overthrow, do violence
6233 – Fraud, distress, unjust gain, cruelty, extortion
6495 – Opening, jail delivery, opening of a prison
6693 – Compress, oppress, distress, constrain
7533 – Crack in pieces, break, bruise, crush, discourage, oppress, struggle together
7628 – Exile, exiled, captured
42:6-7 (4525) & (3608) & (616) I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the right hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
42:22 (3608) This is a people plundered and despoiled; All of them are trapped in caves, or are hidden away in prison; They have become a prey with none to deliver them, and a spoil with none to say, “Give them back.”
45:13 (1546) I have aroused him in righteousness, and I will make all his ways smooth; He will build my city, and will let my exiles go free.
49:9 (631) – (I will keep you and give you for a covenant for the people) Saying to those who are bound, “Go forth.”
49:24, 25 (7628) Can the prey be taken from the mighty man, or the captives of a tyrant be rescued? Surely, thus says the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued; For I will content with the one who contends with you …
51:1 (953) – Listen to me you who pursue righteousness, who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. (AV- Look to the hole of the pit from which you are digged) (NKJ - the hole of the pit from which you were dug)
51:13 (6693) (Who are you) That you have forgotten the Lord your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; That you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, as he makes ready to destroy? But where is the fury of the oppressor?
51:14 (6808) & (7845) The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking.
52:2 (7628) Shake yourself from the dust, rise up, O captive Jerusalem; Loose yourself from the chains around your neck.
52:4 (6231) … There the Assyrians oppressed them without cause
53:7 (5065) He was oppressed and he was afflicted.
53:8 (6115) By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
58:6 (7533) Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke?
61:1 (7628) & (6495) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted, He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners ...
In ministry to the downtrodden, it is powerful to share the prophets’ expression of God’s concern for those who are going through hard places in life. The prophet speaks to people who have been taken from their communities, their homes, and their way of life, people who have lost everything. The prophet rehearses God’s concern and offers hope “I know the plans that I have for you, plans for welfare and not calamity to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11, also expressed to the exiles).
Equally important is God’s expressed interest in stirring leaders to act on his concern. Through the prophet, God at once expresses his concern for the captive and his agenda of deliverance. “This is a people plundered and despoiled … hidden away in prison; they have become prey with none to deliver them, and a spoil with none to bring them back” (42:22), or similarly of Cyrus the deliverer, “I have aroused him in righteousness ... he will build my city and will let my exiles go free” (45:13). In Isaiah 58, the prophet speaks of the ministry of deliverance as a form of worship, “Is this not the fast (i.e. worship) which I choose ... to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free?” (v. 6)
Nor does God neglect to encourage the oppressed to fight for their own deliverance … “Shake yourself from the dust, rise up, O Jerusalem; loose yourself from the chains around your neck” (52:2).
Among these references, the one which I consider to be most powerful at once touches the deepest despair of imprisonment while expressing an unwavering hope in God’s faithfulness, while touching also on God’s concern for the most basic human needs ... “The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking (51:14).
Take a moment to consider that awesome promise. My prayer is that we can embrace even a glimmer of God’s heart for the captive, and somehow represent in our ministry his agenda of deliverance.
Captive / captives / prisoner / prison / oppress / oppressor / oppression / Chains
616 - prisoner
631 – Bind, hold, keep, prison, put in bonds
953 – Pit, hole, cistern, dungeon
1473 – Exile, captive
1546 – captivity, captives, exiles
3608 – Prison
3238 – Be violent, suppress, maltreat, destroy, oppress
5065 – To drive, tax, harass, tyrannize, oppress, taskmaster
6115 – Closure, constraint, oppression
6231 – Press upon, oppress, defraud, violate, overthrow, do violence
6233 – Fraud, distress, unjust gain, cruelty, extortion
6495 – Opening, jail delivery, opening of a prison
6693 – Compress, oppress, distress, constrain
7533 – Crack in pieces, break, bruise, crush, discourage, oppress, struggle together
7628 – Exile, exiled, captured
42:6-7 (4525) & (3608) & (616) I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the right hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
42:22 (3608) This is a people plundered and despoiled; All of them are trapped in caves, or are hidden away in prison; They have become a prey with none to deliver them, and a spoil with none to say, “Give them back.”
45:13 (1546) I have aroused him in righteousness, and I will make all his ways smooth; He will build my city, and will let my exiles go free.
49:9 (631) – (I will keep you and give you for a covenant for the people) Saying to those who are bound, “Go forth.”
49:24, 25 (7628) Can the prey be taken from the mighty man, or the captives of a tyrant be rescued? Surely, thus says the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued; For I will content with the one who contends with you …
51:1 (953) – Listen to me you who pursue righteousness, who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. (AV- Look to the hole of the pit from which you are digged) (NKJ - the hole of the pit from which you were dug)
51:13 (6693) (Who are you) That you have forgotten the Lord your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; That you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, as he makes ready to destroy? But where is the fury of the oppressor?
51:14 (6808) & (7845) The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking.
52:2 (7628) Shake yourself from the dust, rise up, O captive Jerusalem; Loose yourself from the chains around your neck.
52:4 (6231) … There the Assyrians oppressed them without cause
53:7 (5065) He was oppressed and he was afflicted.
53:8 (6115) By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
58:6 (7533) Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke?
61:1 (7628) & (6495) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted, He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners ...